Pep Guardiola talked like he knows Manchester City are going out — and like his reign is just beginning

The Blues' chances of a great escape against Liverpool on Wednesday are slim and none, but their manager added to the feeling he will stay long-term to have plenty more cracks at delivering that European Cup

If you did not get the picture when he described them as extraordinary, he hammered it home by labelling them exceptional.

For good measure from Pep Guardiola , he spoke of his delight in managing this group of Manchester City players, of how it was an absolute joy, every day.

Right, Pep. We understand.

No matter what happens against Liverpool, this lot are brilliant.

No matter what happened against United on Saturday, this lot are brilliant.

It was as though he was convincing himself of their excellence ahead of more-than-probable elimination from this season’s Champions League.

Guardiola called his squad extraordinary — and they'll have to be to go through! (Image: EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock)

Manchester City need at least three goals on Wednesday — five if Liverpool score once (Image: AFP/Getty)

The truth is, Guardiola knows this squad is a good way off being classified in the same bracket as a Barcelona, or a Bayern Munich, or a Real Madrid.

The good news is that he sounded like he will be around to push them to that level.

The recurring theme of his look ahead to the quarter-final second leg against Liverpool was that Project Pep is still in its relative infancy.

He said: “We need titles in Europe. After what this club has done in the last ten years, in terms of creating facilities and making it bigger, it will happen. But you need time. It might be next season or the season after that but it will happen, soon it will happen.”

Guardiola has just one more season of his three-year deal left.

City's domestic title party has surely just been postponed not cancelled (Image: AFP/Getty)

The vibes are that he will commit to an extension, and his words on the eve of this unlikely salvage operation strengthened them: “I don’t know what will happen in the match but if we are not able to do it, it will be a good lesson for the future, especially for the players.

“We are not just here for a few months, we are here for the long term. For the next step, maybe we need more time. Next season, we will be better.”

City supporters will only believe Guardiola is in it for the really long haul when he puts pen to paper but he certainly sounded like a man committed to turning the Blues into some sort of European superpower.

He also sounded, despite some bullishness, like a man who knows the chances of that happening this season are now slim and none.

City train on Monday as they prepare to hit back after two successive defeats (Image: PA Wire)

'Hands up if you think we will be in the semi-finals! Ah....' (Image: Action Images via Reuters)

Leroy Sane and co have their work cut out for the second leg (Image: PA Wire)

Reminding everyone that, on the domestic front, City need only five points from their remaining six matches to win the Premier League title seemed like a way of heading off the negativity that will accompany a second successive Champions League exit at the last-eight stage.

And slightly worrying for City fans was how he had no answer as to why his teams, including previous ones, have an occasional knack of conceding goals in flurries, as they have done twice at Anfield this season and against Man United at the Etihad on Saturday.

He said: “Even in the best teams in the world, you can concede one and then concede three, it can happen. Football is not predictable.”

Maybe, but having an obvious vulnerability in central defence cannot help.

City have shown a worrying ability to concede flurries of goals against Liverpool... (Image: AFP)

...and again four days later in losing the Derby from 2-0 up (Image: PA Wire)

Yet Guardiola, who insisted John Stones was not in his last squad because of a problem with an abductor muscle, paid tribute to Nicolas Otamendi despite the defender’s poor second half in the derby defeat.

He declared: “We are here, quarter-finals of the Champions League, 13 points clear in the Premier League and Otamendi is one of the reasons.”

That summed up Guardiola’s mood.

Whatever transpires against Liverpool, he insists this is a fantastic team, saying: “My team is extraordinary, exceptional. I will be close to them no matter what happens between now and the end of the season. I am so delighted, it is a joy to be manager of them.”

We get the picture, Pep. But being in that hat for Friday's semi-finals draw is what would make them truly extraordinary.